“You’re Bennett’s friend?”
I frown, “Yeah,” wondering if I should tackle him so he doesn’t escape this time. “You uh…you wanna see him?”
Sliding rough hands into thick coat pockets, he spreads his legs like he’s made the decision the time is now. “Is that possible?”
“It’s more than possible.” I motion to my apartment building. “Come on up. I’ll text him you’re here.”
“You know who I am?”
“Have a pretty good idea. But I’ll let Bennett get the answers first. He deserves that.” My eyes narrow on the man. “And a lot more.” I point to the door, indicating he should walk up the stairs first so I can keep an eye on him. I swear if he makes a break for it, I’ll punch him out and block that plan.
Trusting I know what’s going on, Will is staring at me, Joe looking from his friend to me as I text:
Bennett, the guy who might be your father is at my place. We’re waiting for you.
During a silent elevator ride, the reply comes:
If he tries to make a break for it, you have my permission to knock him out.
Great minds think alike.
Chapter 12
Bennett lives a couple of blocks away, so the knock at my door comes fast. In his usual uniform of an expensive suit that’s mirrored in his equally redheaded son, Bennett stands with Elliot outside of my door like he doesn’t know if he should run or not.
Two havenese dogs — that Elliot oddly named Tempest and Nax — pull at their leashes, excited to be back where three boys will play with them until everyone passes out.
“Take your dogs to Will’s room,” Bennett grunts. “Don’t come out until I say.”
“Okay, Dad.” Elliot lets the dogs lead the way, pushing his glasses up on a nose wrinkled by curiosity at the sight of a stranger standing by my kitchen window, watching him intently.
Having prepared for this moment all of his life, thinking it would never come, Bennett locks eyes with the ghost.
They stare at each other until Will’s bedroom door clicks.
Bennett walks closer. “Are you the man I was supposed to call Dad?”
Coat still on, aged hands at his sides now, the old man nods once, eyes tortured. “You look so much like your grandfather.”
Bennett snaps, “My grandfather?!” He throws out his arm in accusation, “I look like you!”
“More like him.”
“I never met him.” Bennett grunts, “Never had a chance. The man is long gone now. Like you were.” Taking a step closer, he demands, “Why are you back? Why now? What do you want?”
“That what you really want to ask me?”
Bennett’s volcano is building pressure. I stay by the door to give them space as he takes another step toward the father he’s never known. My dining set is the only thing between them.
“Where the hell have you been all of these years? Why did you…” Bennett’s jaw clamps and he grips the table with both hands.
Regret taints his dad’s “Why did I leave you?”
Bennett lifts the table and slams it down. “Why did you leave me with that woman?! The Viper!? How could you do that to your only son? Why didn’t you want to know me? Raise me?” He straightens, lets go of the table. “Or I might be assuming things, right? Maybe you have another family somewhere, other sons, or daughters, you actually wanted to raise. Do you?”
“No.”
“So I’m the only one you tried to ruin?”
Pain twists his father’s face. “I don’t have any kids beside you.”
“You don’t have me!” Bennett shouts, “You didn’t want me so you can never have me now! Why are you here?!”
His father’s voice is quiet. “I couldn’t raise you.”
“Wouldn’t raise me!”
Shaking his head, hazel eyes thick with crows feet drop to the floor in shame. “No, I couldn’t.”
I go tense as Bennett walks his dad up against the wall, viciously lashing out with each word. “Do you know what your sister did to me? Do you know what an evil bitch that woman you left me with was? Did you know I called her The Viper my entire life and was nothing but relieved when she finally bit the dust and gave me peace? Did you know that’s how bad it had to be for me to feel that way? You think you couldn’t have done a better job than that demon did, because I guarantee you that’s not possible!”
“Hit me. I deserve it.”
Bennett’s fist lands hard and fast, a loud crack echoing through the apartment as his dad’s head crashes into my far wall. Blood spurts from the old man’s nose, and Benny steps back, shaking out his hand. “That’s right. You do deserve it.”
He locks eyes with me as Will’s door opens.
We look over to the boys, one dog each in Elliot’s and Joe’s arms, five sets of eyes scanning for what made that noise. Can’t hide a bloody nose like this one.
Bennett grunts, “Elliot, sometimes a guy needs a good punching. Go back inside.”
Will looks at me, “Dad?”
“It’s okay. Don’t come out until we tell you to.”
Worried, he ushers his friends back inside, but Elliot resists, last head to be seen before we’re left alone again.
Bennett was my first friend in New York when I came here for college. It took him a long time to open up and confide in me about his childhood. I never met The Viper — he had no contact with her by then. She’d earned that title.
He never allowed The Viper to set eyes on his son. I remember my wife saying it was a shame, but I told Leah, without betraying his trust of secrets shared with just me and Nax, that his withholding Elliot was indicative of how much he cared for his son. She dropped it after that.
Bennett snatches my paper towel from the rack and tosses the whole roll to his dad. “It’s bad enough to know your parents are out there somewhere living their lives and don’t
